Kim Nova never thought she could combine several of her passions into a rewarding career. As a precocious kid who enjoyed the spotlight, she dreamed of future jobs as varied as writing, music, and law. Never shy and always the go-to person her friends came to for advice, Kim looked forward to using her communication skills as a crucial part of her upcoming life’s work.
Determined to Shine
Kim experienced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) as a newborn, but total blindness never stopped her from living a full and enriching life. With the support of her parents, she attended mainstream schools where she enjoyed drama, marching band, and show choir. She later received B.A. degrees in music and psychology but had no idea how or even if these two quite different degrees could successfully blend as part of her career path.
A Career Surprise
Kim’s initial plan was to become a music therapist, but that all changed when, just before graduation, she discovered the field of life coaching. The field was still in its infancy, and Kim was intrigued. She quickly researched, obtained her life coach certification, and set up her own business. As a self-starter who loved a challenge, entrepreneurship was a wonderful opportunity for her. She built a website, crafted newsletters and other marketing materials, taught teleseminars, and worked with clients nationwide. She met many wonderful colleagues and clients as part of her coaching practice.
A Twist of Fate
Eight years into a rewarding coaching career that sometimes waxed and waned, her best friend (and future husband) Chris asked Kim to begin appearing on his assistive technology podcast. She agreed to co-host from time to time, finding the experience different and fun.
Soon, though, he offered her an interesting proposition that would prove life-changing. Chris was experiencing a career transition at the time and asked Kim if she would partner with him to create audio documentation on HumanWare’s second-generation Victor Reader Stream. After hours of discussion, Kim, a long-time product user, agreed to try it.
Though she had used assistive technology all her life, she had never taught it, so this was an entirely new adventure. She acquired an audio mixer, and unwittingly, a new career path twist occurred. Kim’s work with Mystic Access had begun.
Using Her Voice
While promoting their new audio documentation and building their business together, that little Stream tutorial came to HumanWare’s attention. This led to increased exposure, opportunities to collaborate with HumanWare on additional audio documentation, and increased motivation for the two to put their all into this new venture. Teaching a blind and low vision audience was new to Kim, and learning the ropes came with many lessons and struggles, but they all led to growth and powerful experiences.
A Vision of Success
Mystic Access has since created audio documentation for other assistive technology companies, including the American Printing House, Dolphin Computer Access, and BlindShell. In addition to the dozens of audio tutorials they have created, Mystic Access has also offered clients both products and individual and group training over the years. Kim and Chris Nova like to remind their clients that they, too, are users of the products they teach and often experience similar struggles and frustrations themselves.
Director of Product Development
Kim loves sharing information with a casual, informative, and fun approach that puts others at ease. If she can make someone’s learning journey less stressful and more enjoyable, she feels like she has done her job.
The Writing Life
Not only does Kim get to use her voice when recording audio and teaching, but she also enjoys writing as part of her career. Kim has written or co-written numerous books for the National Braille Press (NBP) and is a columnist and editor of Our Special Magazine, a women’s magazine published by NBP. Being able to give back in this way is a dream come true for Kim, as writing was her first love.
Join the APH ConnectCenter for Career Conversations on December 12, 2024, at 6:00 pm Eastern to hear more from Kim. Register for Career Conversations here.
Visit Mystic Access
Visit the site: Mystic Access
Find our bi-weekly podcast at: Mystic Access Podcast
Enjoy hours of free audio: Mystic Access Downloads
Our Special, a National Braille Press magazine: Our Special